❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister about a decision to limit electronic monitoring to the Perth metro area. The Minister's response is evasive, leading to interjections and accusations of fearmongering.
AnsweredQoN 84Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Electronic monitoring
84. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the
decision by the Commissioner of Corrective Services that corrections will not
recommend or support the use of electronic monitoring in any location other
than the Perth metropolitan area.
(1) Was the minister aware of this decision and,
if so, when?
(2) If yes, who made the minister aware of this
decision?
84. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the
decision by the Commissioner of Corrective Services that corrections will not
recommend or support the use of electronic monitoring in any location other
than the Perth metropolitan area.
(1) Was the minister aware of this decision and,
if so, when?
(2) If yes, who made the minister aware of this
decision?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the
member for the question. The member has now been advised by the Attorney
General and the Minister for Corrective Services and the Minister for Police. Are
you okay? All right.
Western Australians are safer
now that this legislation has passed. The Attorney General explained in detail
in his statement to Parliament that electronic monitoring is not a substitute
for bail. Bail is done before electronic monitoring is put in place and then
electronic monitoring is a bail condition for certain accused people, including
those accused of family and domestic violence. The member has also been advised
as of today that there is more recent information that has gone out. So the
letter that the member is referencing—
Ms Libby Mettam: Are you aware of this
decision?
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: What decision? There has not
been a decision.
Ms Libby Mettam: You have been advised—
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: I am advising you that they
have just advised you that more advice has already gone out.
Several members
interjected.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: Members have been advised
repeatedly today that they have already been given supplementary letters to
make more advice on this.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Table the advice.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: It is not my letter.
The Speaker : Members!
Carry on, minister.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: Across the state, breaches are
monitored 24/7 by corrections officers, alongside police. They are responded to
24/7—seven days a week. Similar technical issues with electronic
monitoring such as faulty equipment are also responded to 24/7 in both the
metropolitan area and in regional WA. But in case it has slipped the member's
notice, regional WA is a very large place and sometimes the response times are
not instantaneous because they have to travel to wherever it is. These laws
allow police to arrest without a warrant—not like the member was
stating the other day—and we have invested almost $42 million into the
Department of Justice and the Western Australia Police Force to implement this
act. These laws are the toughest in the nation, but have only been in place for a few months, and I encourage the
opposition to get behind them and stop fearmongering. I know the opposition
is really good at it. I know it really likes it. But stop fearmongering because
we have ensured, with this legislation, that we are the safest state in nation.
member for the question. The member has now been advised by the Attorney
General and the Minister for Corrective Services and the Minister for Police. Are
you okay? All right.
Western Australians are safer
now that this legislation has passed. The Attorney General explained in detail
in his statement to Parliament that electronic monitoring is not a substitute
for bail. Bail is done before electronic monitoring is put in place and then
electronic monitoring is a bail condition for certain accused people, including
those accused of family and domestic violence. The member has also been advised
as of today that there is more recent information that has gone out. So the
letter that the member is referencing—
Ms Libby Mettam: Are you aware of this
decision?
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: What decision? There has not
been a decision.
Ms Libby Mettam: You have been advised—
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: I am advising you that they
have just advised you that more advice has already gone out.
Several members
interjected.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: Members have been advised
repeatedly today that they have already been given supplementary letters to
make more advice on this.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Table the advice.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: It is not my letter.
The Speaker : Members!
Carry on, minister.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: Across the state, breaches are
monitored 24/7 by corrections officers, alongside police. They are responded to
24/7—seven days a week. Similar technical issues with electronic
monitoring such as faulty equipment are also responded to 24/7 in both the
metropolitan area and in regional WA. But in case it has slipped the member's
notice, regional WA is a very large place and sometimes the response times are
not instantaneous because they have to travel to wherever it is. These laws
allow police to arrest without a warrant—not like the member was
stating the other day—and we have invested almost $42 million into the
Department of Justice and the Western Australia Police Force to implement this
act. These laws are the toughest in the nation, but have only been in place for a few months, and I encourage the
opposition to get behind them and stop fearmongering. I know the opposition
is really good at it. I know it really likes it. But stop fearmongering because
we have ensured, with this legislation, that we are the safest state in nation.
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